Happy Holidays.
I hope that this finds you all in good spirits, rested from a great weekend and WARM. I was going to say "that's for you NW folks, but as I have been reading in the news, it's just plain COLD everywhere in the US." Much colder, I am just a bit embarrassed to say, than here in Antarctica. The past three days have seen VERY warm weather. 36 to 39 degrees F. The snow is melting so fast it sounds like rain out my window. It also brings much calving of the glacier ( when large pieces of ice drop off) hence why the past couple of days our pier here at Palmer Station has been iced in. Also there is a HUGE iceberg just set off station. As exciting as it is to see such an amazing chunk of ice,(see photo attached) we are a bit worried that it will get into the shipping lane here for Palmer Station, which can create a whole other bag of trouble. Not only the LMG (the big orange ship that brings folks and freshies and cargo to us) but the numerous cruise ships and yachts that are scheduled to stop by and visit Palmer. So far so good, it's keeping it's distance.. Let's just hope it stays that way. :)
This week brings crazy busy to Palmer Station. Two cruise ships, a yacht full of 13 students and a couple of teachers and the LMG. The first cruise ship is 200 people.The Minerva.
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Most of the tours are 70 to 130 folks.. but not this one. Yippeee. Add to that a mini-film fest, band practice, science lectures,Christmas cookie decorating, Christmas decor of station and tree decorating, off load of cargo from the LMG, cross town pizza with the LMG(crew of 56) and everyday life.. It's going to be a fun week. :)
This week marked my 1/2 way point of my time here at Palmer Station. Amazing how quickly 3.5 months can go. This next part of the season will bring more science and variety of people in and out.
I have to admit I am just a bit homesick for the Holidays. This is the first year of my many years away from home that I long for the tree decorating we use to do growing up. The thousands of lights my dad and I put up on the Christmas tree. ( really..it's 10's of thousands:) but the few hundred we have here with our beautiful fake tree will have to do.. It will add some nice Holiday Spirit to Station.
Yesterday we did do a "Plunge" Jason, one of the journalist here from NPR wanted to do the polar plunge and so we gathered folks and made it happen. It was pretty fun. And from the photos on Flickr you can see the huge iceberg that was in the harbor. Ad's just a bit more "Antarctic" feel to the 30 degree water.
Not much else going on here. The "daily-grind" has set in, which is not a bad thing. Oh, Neil Armstrong did e-mail station and gave us a big "Thank You" and sent us a picture of him and his wife standing by the photo we gave to him. That was kind of fun. He said he had a great time here at Palmer and was fun to meet like minded people. (I keep having to pinch myself that I got to meet him and talk to him.. this guy has stepped foot on the moon.. WOW) What a guy :) Well on that note I will bid you all a good night. Thanks again, as always, for your continued support and love and smiles. It allows me to make it down here. New pictures up on Flickr as well.
Have a blessed Holiday Season my friends.
Big hugs,
stace
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